Meet Frances Koncan. Frances is a huge Spring Awakening fan. Hear what she had to say about her experience with the show below.SA: How long have you been a fan of Spring Awakening?
FK: I have been a fan of Spring Awakening just over a year now. I am unfortunately neither 'old school' nor 'new school', and thus have been suffering for an identity crisis for quite some time now.
SA: When and where have you seen the show? (More than once?)
FK: Like age, it's nothing but a number. It doesn't really mean anything. For anyone that's interested, we'll make it fun! Solve for X: [4^((2x - 132)^(1/3))]/8 + 467 = 469. Major props to anyone who bothers to figure that out. If you seriously did, holler and I will take you out for coffee so I can bow down to your mathematical skill in person. To get all needlessly specific, I saw the show 5 times in San Francisco, and the rest in New York. In retrospect, I had way too much free time in early 2008.
SA: What is your favorite part of the show?
FK: I have many favourite parts of the show. My enjoyment of different songs and scenes depends greatly on who I am with, where I am sitting, who's in the cast, and how much coffee I've had to drink. I really like 'Left Behind' if I am up onstage with some friends, because we like to put sad faces on and see which one of us can get the fake tears going first. My absolute favorite part of the show, though, is 'Song of Purple Summer'. I am told I look very bored when I watch the show, but that I always seem very happy during Purple Summer. This is true. It melts my frozen, apathetic little heart and I usually end up spending a good 20 minutes hugging everyone and telling them how much I love them afterwards. I like that. There is never a bad time to tell your friends you love them. Can I tell them right now? Dear friends, I love you! Also, Robert Downey Jr., I love you as well. (Facebook me!)
SA: What's your favorite song from the soundtrack?
FK: Several people asked me to take this time to relay a public service announcement: it's not a soundtrack, it's a cast recording. Personally, I don't care or see why it matters and I understand the question so I'm not going to dwell on a technicality (but I felt like I should throw that out there since I have commandeered this soapbox for a hot minute!) I am in the camp of nitpickers who think the cast recording is kind of sub-par; based on that recording, I would say my favourite song is 'The Dark I Know Well', because not a whole lot is lost in translation from stage to cd/ipod. Based on other audios I prefer to listen to... I would still go with 'The Dark I Know Well'. I know this song is not exactly uplifting and I feel like a tool tapping my foot and bopping my head to a song where girls are singing about how their fathers sexually abuse them, but that drum beat is too much contagious. It's like the flu, or lice.
SA: Any other music, shows, or bands that you particularly love?
FK: I love all music! I love it more than anything or anyone else in the world. Much to the chargrin of my parents, I am under the impression that I do not need food, clothing, or money, just music, to survive. Music is the best of mathematics and the best of art and I adore it. I listen to and appreciate a wide variety of genres and styles, but when it comes down to it, I am very loyal to classical music (I studied classical horn and classical piano for my first few years in college before deciding I wanted to become a journalist at work for CNN instead). Fact: there is an awful lot of Gregorian Chant on my iPod.
